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21 Apr 2009 : Column 637W—continued
Banks: Tax Avoidance
Mr. Meacher: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy that any bank proposed for receipt of public funds (a) should be required to stop using tax havens for tax avoidance purposes and (b) should provide a legal statement guaranteeing that it has ceased such practices and has disbanded its departments responsible for establishing such schemes before it receives funds from the public purse. [267121]
Ian Pearson [holding answer 27 March 2009]: I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 16 March 2009, Official Report, column 654.
Mortgages
Mr. Brady: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what recent assessment he has made of the effect of the levels of activity of specialist lenders in the UK mortgage market on (a) the availability of buy-to-let mortgage finance, (b) competition in the provision of buy-to-let mortgages and (c) the ability of the private rented sector to meet housing need; [265151]
(2) pursuant to the oral Statement of 19 January 2009, Official Report, columns 482-86, on financial markets, what plans he has to facilitate an increase in the supply of mortgage finance for investment in the private rented sector through the lending support schemes being developed by his Department. [265198]
Ian Pearson: On 19 January, the Government announced measures designed to reinforce the stability of the financial system, to increase confidence and capacity to lend, and in turn to support the recovery of the economy. These build on measures announced on 8 October last year.
These measures have helped to stabilise the credit market. This is an essential condition for banks to develop greater confidence to lend in the future to creditworthy businesses, home-owners and consumers.
The Government value and support the role of private rented sector in providing flexible accommodation for many households. In 2008 the Government commissioned an independent review of the private rented sector by Julie Rugg and David Rhodes. The Government expect to publish their initial response to their report later in the spring.
The Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) publishes data on lending, including buy-to-let lending, available at:
Northern Rock: Nationalisation
Sir Peter Viggers: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what definition of success fee was used by his Department in its discussions with Goldman Sachs on the taking into temporary public ownership of Northern Rock. [267583]
Ian Pearson [holding answer 30 March 2009]: The Treasury and Goldman Sachs agreed it would have been inappropriate for a success fee to form part of the final sum paid for the advice given by Goldman Sachs in relation to this matter. No such fee was paid.
Sir Peter Viggers: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what due diligence work was carried out in relation to (a) Northern Rock and (b) Northern Rock’s loan book prior to taking the bank into temporary public ownership. [267584]
Ian Pearson [holding answer 30 March 2009]: The decision to take Northern Rock into temporary public ownership was based on a full assessment of the value for money case.
Royal Bank of Scotland: Pensions
Adam Price: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will direct UK Financial Investments Ltd. to establish whether the Royal Bank of Scotland pension scheme contains a forfeiture clause under the terms of the Pensions Act 1995. [265502]
Ian Pearson [holding answer 20 March 2009 ]: UK Financial Investments Ltd. (UKFI) manages the Government’s shareholdings in financial institutions on a commercial and arm’s-length basis.
UKFI has agreed with the banks in which Government have investments that they will assure themselves that all payouts to former directors were no more than legally necessary.
With the agreement of UK Financial Investments Ltd. (UKFI), Sir Philip Hampton, the new chairman of RBS, has appointed a senior independent QC to carry out a full legal investigation of the issues relating to Sir Fred Goodwin’s pension. This investigation is ongoing.
Wales
Departmental ICT
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate he has made of the (a) energy consumed by, (b) energy cost of and (c) carbon dioxide emissions from each category of IT device in each division of his Department in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [269547]
Mr. Paul Murphy: Wales Office IT services are provided by the Ministry of Justice.
We continually address our need to reduce our carbon footprint as a whole. We are developing our sustainability development action plan which will examine how our IT might consume less energy overall.
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what steps his Department has taken to address the effect on levels of carbon dioxide emissions from his Department of its ICT purchases since the publication of the Greening Government ICT Strategy; and if he will make a statement. [269568]
Mr. Paul Murphy: The Wales Office is developing a sustainability development action plan that will incorporate ways of reducing our carbon footprint.
We have adopted a “switch off” policy that all staff should shut down IT appliances at the end of the working day. We are also looking at options including replacing single-sided with two-sided printers.
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many (a) printers and (b) multi-function devices with printing functions were in use in each division of his Department in each of the last five years; how many such devices had a function enabling two-sided printing; and if he will make a statement. [269616]
Mr. Paul Murphy: The Wales Office has:
(a) 27 printers covering our London and Cardiff offices;
(b) No multi-function devices.
We have one double-sided printer. We will examining the possibility of supplementing it as part of our sustainability development programme and in accordance with the Greening Government ICT programme.
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many and what proportion of IT products in each category procured for each division of his Department were compliant with the Government’s Buy Sustainable-Quick Wins standard in the latest year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [269640]
Mr. Paul Murphy: The Wales Office has all its IT products supplied through the Ministry of Justice IT central contract.
Departmental Mobile Phones
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much has been spent on (a) the purchase of and (b) bills for (i) BlackBerrys and (ii) other mobile telephones for (A) Ministers, (B) special advisers and (C) civil servants in his Department in each year since 2005. [268237]
Mr. Paul Murphy: The Wales Office is provided with its IT and telephone equipment through the Ministry of Justice and does not directly purchase BlackBerrys or mobile telephones.
Billing information is not held in the format requested and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many (a) BlackBerrys and (b) other mobile telephones have been provided to (i) Ministers, (ii) special advisers and (iii) civil servants in his Department in each year since 2005. [268283]
Mr. Paul Murphy: The figures for the current year are given in the following table. Figures for previous years are not held in the format requested and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
| Provided in 2009 | |
Departmental Rail Travel
Mr. Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what guidance his Department issues on whether members of staff may claim for travel in first-class carriages on trains if there are no seats in standard class. [268568]
Mr. Paul Murphy: My Department has no written guidance on this specific point. Train tickets are normally booked in advance and with seat reservations, taking advantage of discounts.
Departmental Training
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much has been spent on media training for each Minister in his Department in each of the last three years; how many sessions have been provided; and who provided such training. [268557]
Mr. Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what his Department’s policy is on the practice of holding departmental away days outside the Department’s buildings. [268569]
Mr. Paul Murphy: My Department has not laid down a policy on this. Occasional staff events off site are approved by the Head of Office, when there is a clear benefit to the business to be gained. Government or hotel accommodation is used, chosen to be fit for purpose and economical. Away days are not used as a form of reward.
StartHere
Alun Michael: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the potential of StartHere to deliver the Government’s digital inclusion strategy. [268988]
Mr. Paul Murphy: NHS Choices and Directgov have been working with StartHere over the past six months to evaluate its potential to support the delivery of the Government’s digital inclusion strategy. The findings from the evaluation are currently under consideration by NHS Choices and Directgov and are due to be published by the end of April 2009. This evaluation will support any formal recommendations for the use of StartHere by Government.
Women and Equality
Equality and Human Rights Commission: Annual Reports
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality when she expects the commission for equality and human rights' Annual Report for 2007-08 to be published; and if she will make a statement. [268931]
Maria Eagle: The Equality and Human Rights Commission’s April 2006-March 2008 annual report and accounts will be published after they are formally laid in Parliament. They are currently with the National Audit Office for sign off.
Equality and Human Rights Commission: Finance
Mr. Grieve: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality whether the accounts of the Equality and Human Rights Commission for 2007-08 have been approved by (a) the Board of the Commission and (b) its Audit and Risk Committee. [268807]
Maria Eagle: The Equality and Human Rights Commission’s April 2006-March 2008 annual report and accounts are currently being audited by the National Audit Office (NAO). Following NAO sign off, they will be considered by the EHRC Audit and Risk Committee and then recommended to the EHRC board for approval.
Equality and Human Rights Commission: Pay
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what salary bands there are for staff of the commission for equality and human rights; how many staff there are in each band; and if she will make a statement. [268932]
Maria Eagle: The Equality and Human Rights Commission’s salary bands and the number of staff employed within each as at 31 March 2009 are as follows:
| Grade | Salary band | Number |
Work and Pensions
Christmas Bonus
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of recipients of the Christmas bonus will receive their payment (a) together with their basic state pension and (b) as a separate payment, broken down by date of receipt of bonus; and if he will make a statement. [249151]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The standard £10 Christmas bonus was paid as normal before Christmas to all those who qualified. Payments of the additional Christmas bonus were paid as outlined in the following table:
| Paid with benefit | Per- centage | Paid separately | Per- centage | Paid from week commencing | |
| Notes: 1. State Pension figures include customers in receipt of Widows and Bereavement Benefit. 2. The Pension Credit figures include customers receiving their State Pension and Pension Credit payments combined. Christmas Bonus payments in these cases are paid with Pension Credit. Source: Special Payment Programme weekly review document 4 March 2009. | |||||
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